Quantification of Outcome Measures for Mind-body Interventions

This randomized, controlled trial will determine the relative strength of correlation between changes in stress outcome measures (self-report questionnaire, genomic expression, biochemical assay) in moderately to severely stressed healthy subjects randomized to one of three health education interventions at both end-intervention and at a 6-month long-term follow-up. This study will also determine which of the different outcome measures exhibit the greatest degree of sensitivity, reliability and consistency at both end-intervention and long-term follow-up.

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18 or older
• Stress is chronic and ongoing with no resolution of the stressors within the timeframe of the study, with a minimum prior duration of 6 months.
• Able to provide informed consent and to understand written and spoken English.

Exclusion criteria

• Practice of yoga, meditation, guided imagery or other mind body techniques that elicit the RR, once per week for 45 min total or more within the last three months or less.
• Any current medical condition that would preclude their safe and effective practice of the yoga or meditation interventions.
• The presence of bipolar or psychotic disorders, or history of any other DSMIV Axis I disorder with active symptoms or treatment within the last 5 years, as determined by a structured clinical interview.
• Initiation of psychotherapy within 6 months of entering the study.
• Serious or unstable medical illness, including serious or unstable cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory, endocrine, neurologic or hematologic disease.
• Patient deemed unable to complete protocol due to cognitive, psychiatric or other reasons.
• Pregnancy or planned conception over the course of the study (could confound biomarker values).
• Current use of the following medications: systemic corticosteroids, chronic (i.e., more than 3 days per week) use of anti-inflammatories (e.g., ibuprofen; currently or within the last 3 months), immunosuppressive or cytotoxic therapies (currently or within the last 12 months), and anabolic steroids.
• Current (within the last 6 months) psychoactive medications (e.g. antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, anxiolytics), with the exception of hypnotics, which will be permitted.